Road form



Feb. 20, 1934. HELTZEL 1,948,213

ROAD FORM Filed July 26, 1929 FIG. 1.

Patented Feb. 20, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 19 Claims.

The present invention relates to forms for building concrete roads or pavements, and one object of the invention is the provision of a novel and improved form rail having one tread portion on which a screed, strike-off, float or other implement may rest or slide, in finishing the surface of the concrete, and said rail having another tread portion on which the wheels of finishing machines, bridges, and the like may travel.

Another object is to provide a form having means to receive and support one arm of an angular or L-shaped dowel rod, in order that said arm of the rod will be disposed at the side of the slab, and may be bent away from the slab to be embedded in a slab subsequently built at said side of the first slab, for tying the slabs together against separation.

A further object is the provision of novel means for supporting the angular dowel rods in association with the form rail, to hold the dowel rods in place during the pouring and finishing of the plastic concrete.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be apparent as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the construction and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes can be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved form rail and one of the dowel rods and its supporting stake.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the original and subsequent slabs, with one dowel rod in original position and the other bent to be embedded in the subsequent slab.

Figs. 3 and 4 are perspective views illustrating modified form rails having provisions for supporting the angular dowel rods.

Fig. 5 is an end view of the rail shown in Fig. 3 illustrating another modification.

Fig. 6 is a section of the side portion of the concrete slab formed by the rail shown in either Figs. 3 and 5, and showing the dowel rod embedded in the concrete.

Fig. '1 is a perspective view illustrating means for holding a dowel rod against the flat web of a rail.

The form rail 1, as seen in Fig. 1, comprises the upright face wall 2, base 3, tread 4 and flange 5 depending from said tread, which parts constitute one section of the rail formed from a plate. The rail has another section, also formed from a plate, having the back wall 6 provided with a flange '7 secured on the base 3, and a tread 8 having an upturned flange 9 overlapping and secured to the flange 5.

The rail is of box shape and is strong in construction. The tread 4 defines or is flush with the surface of the finished road, and a screed 10, strike-cit", float or other finishing tool or implement may rest or slide on said tread, while the Wheels of finishing machines, bridges, and the like, may roll on the tread 8, as indicated at 11.

The form rail is thus provided with a stepped tread having a raised tread portion for the screed or other finishing tool, and having an outer tread portion at a lower level for the wheels of finishing machines, bridges, and the like.

A transversely bent sheet metal strip 12 is riveted or otherwise secured to the face or front wall 2 for producing a longitudinal groove in the corresponding side of the slab. The offset'portion, such as produced by the strip 12, may be integral with the rail, as suggested in Fig. 4. v

The oifset portion 12 is provided at suitably spaced longitudinal points with longitudinal depressions or grooves 13 at the ridge of said portion 12 to receive and support arms of angular or L-shaped dowel rods 14. One arm of each rod is thus seated in the depression or groove 13, while the other arm projects inwardly from the rail and is supported by a stake 15 driven into the sub-base and provided with an aperture 16 to receive the terminal of the inwardly extending arm of the dowel rod. The upper terminal of the stake is bent back, as at 1'7, to form a stop extending across the end of the rod 14 to prevent said rod from shifting out of the groove 13.

The dowel rods are thus conveniently supported along the form rail, to be embedded in the slab. When such slab is completed and the form rail is removed, the slab 18, as seen in Fig. 2, has a groove 19 extending along the side thereof, and the longitudinal arms of the dowel rods 14 are disposed in said groove, so as to be protected as well as being accessible to be bent away from the side of the slab at some subsequent time when another slab is built, for widening the road or pavement, and enabling one half of a road to be completed and the other half constructed later on. The rods 14 are bent away from the first slab 18, as indicated at 14 in Fig. 2, so as to be embedded in the second or subsequent slab 20, thereby tying two slabs together against separation.

The slab 20 being molded against the side of the slab 18 will have a longitudinal tongue 21 entering the groove 19.

Fig. 3 illustrates a more simple type of form rail la having the web or front wall 2a formed diately above and below the offset portion 12a to receive wires 22a or other elements for holding the dowel rods in said portion.

Fig. 4 illustrates a similar type of rail 11) hav ing the portion 12b offset inwardly and formed with the longitudinal depression or groove 13?) in the ridge thereof to receive the dowel rod.

Fig. 5 illustrates a rail of the kind shown in Fig. 3 wherein the pins 22?) are inserted downwardly through apertures in the oifset portion 12b for holding the dowel rods seated in said portion.

Fig. 6 illustrates the dowel rod embedded in the outstanding tongue or rib of the completed concrete slab, with the concrete surrounding and protecting the rod. Later on, when the adjacent slab is to be added, the tongue 210 may be broken away to release the dowel rod so that it can be unbent or straightened out;

Fig. 7 illustrates a hook 23d inserted through a slot 2251 in the web of a rail, for engaging and holding the dowel rod 14d against said web. A Wedge Z id is driven through a slot in the shank of the hook at the outer side of the rail for drawing the hook to clamp the dowel rod against the rail web. The dowel rod may thus be held in place against a flat rail web. In removing the device, the wedge 2M is first removed, after which the rail is removed, and the hook 2201 may then be disengaged from the slab leaving the dowel rod embedded in said slab.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

l. A road form rail having means for receiving and supporting one arm of an angular dowel rod. r

2. 'A road form rail having a longitudinal groove for receiving one arm of an angular dowel rod. 7

3. The combination of a road form rail, an angular dowel rod, said rail having means receiving and supporting one arm of said rod, and means'supporting the other arm of said rod.

i. The combination or a road form rail, an angular dowel rod, said rail having means receiving and supporting one arm of said rod, the other arm of aid rod extending inwardly from said rail, and a stake having an aperture to receive said other arm of the rod.

5.The combination of a road form rail, an angular dowel rod, said rail having means receiving and'supporting one arm of said rod, the otherarm ofaid rod extendinginwardly from said rail, and a stake having an aperture to receive said other arm of the rod, said stake having its upper terminal bent back to extend across the end'of said rod for holding the rod in place against the rail.

6; The combination or a road form rail having a groove, an angular dowel rod having one arm seated in said groove, and the other arm extending inwardly from the rail, and means for supporting said other arm of the dowel rod.

'7. The combination of a road form rail having an ofiset portion formed with a groove in the ridge thereofto receive one arm of an angular dowel rod.

8. The combination of a road form rail having an offset portion formed with a groove in the ridge thereof, an angular dowel rod having one arm seated in said groove, and having its other arm extending inwardly from the rail, and means supporting said other arm of the dowel rod.

9. The combination with a road form rail, of an angular dowel rod, and means for supporting said dowel rod with one arm extending along and bearing against said rail.

10. A road form rail having a sheet metal tread with a tread portion at its inner side and with a second tread portion at a lower level and at the outer side of the first named tread portion.

11. A road form rail comprising one part having a web, a tread portion, and a base portion; a second part between and secured to said portions and having a tread portion at a lower level than the firstnamed portion. 7

12. The method of making concrete roads containing slabs having interlocking engagement at their edges, which comprises forming one slab with an irregular edge, by the use or" a deformed plate and with dowels partially embedded therein, removing the plate and thereafter pouring a second slab with one edge in abutting relation with said irregular edge and over the unembedded portions of said dowels.

13. The method of constructing concrete roads, which comprises positioning a plate having a longitudinally extending groove, placing a bent dowel bar with one portion thereof extending inwardly and transversely of the'plate and the other portion thereof lying within said groove, pouring concrete against the inner side of the plate and embedding the first-named portion of said bar, removing the plate,'straightening the bar, pouring the adjacent section of concrete against the first poured section and over the remaining portion of the ban i i. The method of constructing concrete roads, which comprises pouring a road section over one end portion of a bent dowel bar whose other end portion extends at substantially right angles to the first-named portion, thereafter straightening the bar, and pouring a second road section over the second-named end portion to embed the same.

15. In a method or" road construction, the steps comprising implacing spaced apart sections of channeled dividing. plate having dowel bar slots in their ends, inserting a bent dowel bar into each slot so that one leg of each bar extends transversely of the plate and the other lies in the plate channel, providing road material on the side of the plate having the transversely extending dowel bar leg, and thereafter bending out the second dowel bar leg into substantial alignment with the first.

16. A sheetmetal road form rail, means coacting with said rail for receiving and supporting one arm of an angular dowel rod.

17. A road form rail, means coacting with said rail and providing a longitudinal groove for receiving one arm of an angular dowel rod.

18. The combination of a road form rail, an angular dowel rod, means coating with said rail for receiving and supporting one arm of said rod, and means supporting the other arm of said rod.

19. The combination of a road form rail, means coacting with said rail and providing a groove, an angular dowel rod having one arm seated in said groove, and the other arm extending inwardly from the rail,land means for supporting said other arm of the dowel rod.

, JOHN N. HELTZEL. 

